Suburbanites get in on the Halo hype

Toby Dillman doesn't consider himself a sucker for marketing hype.

But when it comes to the video game series Halo, well, let's just say he's stocked up with all the goodies.

The 19-year-old Montgomery man pre-ordered the Legendary edition of Halo 3, the third installment of the popular game franchise due on store shelves Sept. 25. It costs roughly $130 and includes the game, bonus discs documenting its creation, and a collectible helmet case.

Dillman traded in his Xbox 360 gaming console for a special-edition version, which varies only with an additional television input signal and is tinted in a green-and-gold finish reminiscent of the game's characters.

He's got the Halo action figures. He's got the imitation carbine firearms. And when he's parched, Dillan even has his fridge stocked with Mountain Dew Game Fuel, a new-flavored soda pop branded with the popular video game's logo.

But Dillman said the new game is so much more than the sum of its marketing brands.

"The hardcore fans are the fans of the story," he said. "I think the marketing is great because it gets the word out even more."

Indeed, the game's creator, Microsoft, is pulling out all the stops to ensure Halo 3 gets a marketing blitz rivaled by Hollywood movie releases.

The new game is expected to be one of the year's biggest sellers, and a key arsenal in Microsoft's attempt to influence the entertainment choices of the living room.

It follows the exploits of a genetically altered super soldier called Master Chief as he battles an alien race called the Covenant -- a concept that seems to strike a broader pop-culture nerve than in typical video game releases.

Microsoft says it has sold a combined 14.8 million copies of the first and second installments of Halo since the original game's release in 2001. The company said Halo 2 sold $125 million the first day it went on sale, a figure rivaling the opening weekend box office sales of hit movies such as "Spiderman," "Shrek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

And last month, Microsoft announced it had already sold more than 1 million advance copies of Halo 3.

Retailers throughout the Chicago area are expected to open their doors at midnight Sept. 25 to begin selling and distributing pre-ordered copies.

Darren Maughan will be one of those eagerly waiting at the doors. The Barrington native pre-ordered his copy of Halo 3 nearly a year ago and will be taking the day off work.

"I didn't exactly tell my bosses why, but everybody knows it's for Halo 3," he said.

So, let the marketing begin.

Area GameStop stores will be hosting an online Halo 2 tournament the day before the release, and one Chicago-area Best Buy store will have a Master Chief character roaming the store aisles.

Microsoft has spent $10 million on an extensive marketing campaign that included a spot late last year on Monday Night Football. In May, Halo fans were able to get a sneak-peek at the game through a limited beta test on halo3.com.

Both Burger King and 7-Eleven stores plan to splash Halo-themed logos on cups and food wrappers.

General Motors' Pontiac division will host several events in cities around the country that will allow gamers to play Halo 3 before its launch. The automaker will also feature Halo 3 in commercials for its new G6 GXP, a car aimed at 18- to 34-year-old men.

And Comcast is providing video footage of Halo 3, as well as interviews with game developers, for subscribers of its On Demand service.

"People may not think about it, but video games as a category have been an increasingly popular form of content for cross-promotion," said Jason Anderson, director of research at the International Development Group, a San Francisco research firm catering to the video game industry.

"There's a generational shift of interests in process, Anderson said. "Games may not be as popular as movies from a total market perspective, but for younger demographics, some games can be just as relevant as a television series."